(Photo: Burgess Yachts)

The yacht with ties to the Cold War

Most yachts have unique histories but one yacht named Olivia holds history with ties to Russia during the Cold War era. The 226-foot yacht donning the name Olivia wasn’t always a yacht and was in-fact a Russian Navy spy ship that was commissioned during the Cold War in 1972.

This vessel was originally built as a commercial boat in Finland to later be commissioned as a ship for military operations to allegedly survey the seabed but is thought to actually be a spy ship. This vessel was built with the highest ice-class rating that was designed to endure traveling through the toughest conditions with a 15,000-mile range.

More yacht owners are looking into vessel options that can endure more tough conditions, allowing them to travel to places that are less accessible to standard vessels. The project to transform a Cold War spy ship to a yacht started in 2008 with a four-year conversion project with the help of two shipyards for the interior and hull work.

The current owner of Olivia purchased the yacht in 2010 and converted the ship’s original office into a fifth guest cabin. This yacht provides a happy medium balancing function with comfort for the owners that have traveled in Olivia around the world including Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.

Olivia was also one of the first yachts to travel to Cuba after the travel ban and yachting restrictions lifted in 2017. Olivia features a standalone cabin on the jacuzzi deck with an upgraded state-of-the-art bridge.

Olivia features a minimalist Scandi-style interior design theme with solid Rosewood that brings a woody aroma through the yacht with the owner’s prominent art collection for a pop of color in a neutral color palette. The main deck lounge features everything to host any activity including a 12-person whirlpool Jacuzzi, pop-up cinema screen for movie night, and plenty of lounge furniture.

(Photo: Burgess Yachts)

This vessel also features an outdoor lounge that was originally an observation deck that they call The Monkey Lounge. The flybridge of the yacht refers to the naval term “monkey island” for the place that is located at the top-most accessible deck above the bridge.

This yacht is actually on the market with Burgess Yachts for $27.2 million. This yacht offers the luxury of a yacht but the strength of a military vessel.